Greece, the birthplace of European civilization, was shattered by the time Apis occupied it, and after two major civil wars, the people of the Balkans had been almost exploited. You must know that ancient warfare was a very cruel and brutal thing, fighting a war needed funds, and the army needed food to provide for it. Those, where did all that money and food and grass come from? It was snatched from the pockets of the local residents. Sometimes, when they were in dire need of funds, they found a reason to kill the local rich nobles and wealthy merchants and confiscate their property for military expenses...... Pompey was so at the time of the civil war with Caesar, and so was Antony. What is left for Apis now is actually a mess.

For this reason, Apis redistributed the grain he had previously taken, and for a short time Apis did not want to pursue Antony to Asia Minor. There are many mountainous areas and many kingdoms, and it will be difficult for Anthony to deal with if he starts a guerrilla war with himself. Every war is a huge attrition. From Gaul to Italy, and from Italy to Greece, many areas had just been rebuilt and production had not yet been restored, and further into the East, logistical supplies were a problem.

Moreover, Appis estimated that it would take some time for Anthony to sort out relations with the eastern countries. Between Antony's power is huge, he is the king in the East, and his power extends to Greece and even Italy, no one dares to argue with him, and now the situation is different, whether the Eastern countries will buy his account again, it is estimated that it still needs to be weighed. It's just that Anthony still has a lot of money in his hands, which is true. That part of Egypt is so rich that whoever goes there for a few years will be worth twice as much.

Because of this, Alexandria also became the next target of Appis's visit.

Cleopatra, the woman whom men all over the world are crazy about, and now, Apis is going to get a good grasp of her. Titus had replied and arranged a meeting between the queen and himself. To this end, Appis disguised himself and took a merchant ship in the name of a merchant and went to Alexandria. Because Anthony still had a legion there, he couldn't enter Alexandria with great fanfare, otherwise it would be very dangerous.

Of course, going to Alexandria this time is also equivalent to going to the meeting alone. Appis had only eighty men with him, a team of hundreds. The number of caravanserans...... If Cleopatra repents halfway, he will die in a foreign country, but Apis believes in the queen's "human being".

…………

The white walls stretch out along the coastline, and the white walls are uneven and scattered, from the towers of the headland to the piers of the bay, and surround the entire city of Alexandria. The harbour is full of sails, sailboats of different colors docked at the pier, and the crowd is a completely different scene than when Appis first came here ten years ago.

Sometimes I have to praise Cleopatra, a shrewd woman, who not only captures the hearts of men, but also manages the country's economy first-class. No wonder Caesar chose her back then.

The meeting took place in an ordinary aristocratic villa in Alexandria, where the queen personally met him in the harbor while Appis disembarked from the ship in a thick cloak. Alexander in front of him was magnificent, not inferior to Rome. Cleopatra is even more elegant and generous, although she is already the mother of two children, but the years have not left many traces on her, Apis is very strange, although the Cleopatra in front of her is in her thirties. But her face and figure are like that of a twenty-year-old girl, slim, elegant and beautiful.

And there is no makeup and retouching, presenting a natural charm and beauty. It seems that Cleopatra is indeed as legendary, knowing how to be diplomatic, and before meeting any person, he must first grasp the habits and preferences of the other person. For example, Appis doesn't like women with heavy makeup, so the queen travels without makeup, which looks like a lot of painstaking work. Maybe it's just one of her habits.

"Dear Queen of Egypt, it's a pleasure to see you again after a 10-year absence. Alas, the years are really unforgiving, and now I am full of vicissitudes of life, and my face is full of wrinkles. But you're still so beautiful, and your charm is still there. It's as if you haven't changed anything in the last ten years. ”

After the meeting, Apis was the first to be polite. It is also a test of Cleopatra's attitude towards herself. The servants around him all stared at Appis nervously, and for every Roman, these guards of the Egyptian court were very careful and cautious.

"Don't count me down, Appis. When I met you in Alexandria ten years ago, you were a small centurion, but now you are the commander of a legion in a vast empire. See, what have you done in the past 10 years? This is the real agelessness, our faces will eventually age, but the spirit will endure. ”

Cleopatra's reply is comforting, neither contrived nor offensive. And with a little bit of depth. Cleopatra's erudition is reflected in a sentence or two. Of course, the topic of today's conversation is certainly not to discuss philosophy and history. Today, Apis is about to make an important deal with Cleopatra.

"Let's get down to business, Venerable Queen Cleopatra. I have come to Egypt this time and have heard that your people are suffering, or rather, a great plague. The suffering of the people is nothing more than hunger, poverty and disease. Now, the people along the Nile are suffering from the plague. And it is difficult for you to deal with these matters alone. Therefore, I have come to Egypt to help you through this calamity. ”

"Conditions? I know that what you Appis does is conditional. ”

Faced with Appis's words, Cleopatra sat down in her chaise longue and whispered. Her eyes were misty, and Appis knew that she was dealing with a poisonous snake, but as long as you were clear-headed, everything could still be at ease. Anthony became the queen's prey, and Apis knew that he wouldn't, a person who was not emotionally invested, and there was nothing to tie up on Apis's side.

"The conditions are simple. You and I both know the outcome of the Greek battlefield, Antony was defeated, and he was badly defeated. He didn't even have time to return to Alexandria, but took with him his old and weak soldiers, and returned to Pergamon in Asia Minor. Now, the voice of the Roman world is more and more inclined to me, the queen is a wise man, and the fact that you have entertained me today proves that in your heart, you also want to cooperate with me and reach some kind of consensus. Yes, my condition is that you form an alliance with me against Anthony. ”

Look at Cleopatra's unchanging face. Appis swore by it.

After a soft, slightly flirtatious laugh, Cleopatra sat upright.

"Apys, you know, Anthony and I have been in love for a long time, he is my husband, why should I betray my husband for someone like you, who has nothing to do with you? You're so blatantly trying to divide me and Anthony, aren't you afraid I'll have people tie you up right now and send you to the sea to feed the sharks? ”

Cleopatra's face became serious. Said in a threatening tone.

What a powerful woman, Appis sighed from his heart. However, since he came, Appis was also ready for everything, including the queen's possible reply and means.

"I'm afraid, of course I'm afraid, it's all your territory. If I make a move, I'm afraid that the servants behind you will immediately tie me up and throw me directly into the pool to feed the crocodiles, there is no need to move to the beach and wait for the sharks to come up. But I know the queen doesn't treat guests like that, does she? And, if I do die here, my men, Crassus the Younger, and the men of Livius, will really turn the finger at Egypt and Alexander. At that time, the war was raging here, and I am afraid that it is also what you don't want to see, Queen. ”

Appis said, observing Cleopatra's face. She calmed down a little, but a pair of wise eyes were still staring at Appis, as if a hunter were staring at his prey.

Of course, Appis knew that he was not the queen's prey.